Liberty board member named to state panel

Staff report

Columbus

Gloria H. Lang, a member of the Liberty school board, is among five public school board members named to the Ohio School Boards Association’s 2010 All-Ohio School Board.

The board members will be recognized with the association’s most prestigious honor Nov. 10 during the 55th annual OSBA Capital Conference and Trade Show in Columbus.

OSBA Executive Director Richard Lewis will recognize the All-Ohio School Board members on the final day of the Capital Conference, a four-day convention attended by more than 10,000 Ohio school board members, superintendents, treasurers, business officials and other school leaders.

Every year, OSBA names one board of education member from each of its five regions — Central, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest — to the All-Ohio School Board. The award recognizes outstanding service to public education and represents the dedication shown by thousands of board members across the state.

All-Ohio School Board candidates are nominated by their respective school boards; OSBA regional committees then select the five winners.

Lang, who has been a school board member for five years, represents OSBA’s Northeast Region. She has served as board president or vice president for two of those years.

A General Motors Co. retiree, she owns and operates Accu Pro Tax Service in Youngstown. Lang is a member of the National Association of Accountants, National Association of Enrolled Agents, Liberty Business Association and American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers.

She serves on the district’s negotiating committee, Relay for Life committee, Liberty Alumni Hall of Fame and the Blott Needy Kids Organization, which provides clothing and gifts for students in kindergarten through fourth grade during the holidays and throughout the year.

Lang created and maintains two online blogs: AllThingsLiberty.com, an idea exchange for school and government issues, and Gloria’s Newsletter, which highlights activities and achievements of Liberty students and staff.

Lang serves as the Liberty schools’ volunteer reporter and photographer for The Review Newspapers, where she publishes a full page each week filled with photos and stories about the district and its accomplishments. She also attends all home sports events, concerts, art shows and showcases, and is active in each school.

She attends the annual OSBA Capital Conference and recently participated in the Trumbull County Educational Service Center Leadership Academy for Board Members. She also has testified on behalf of public education before the Ohio General Assembly.

In her community, Lang is a member of the Liberty Historical Society, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Korean War Veterans Association, Excelsior College Alumni, National Alliance of Women Veterans and National Association for Amateur Radio.

In nominating Lang for the award, her colleagues wrote: “There are numerous examples of Gloria working behind the scenes to provide something — no matter how small — that improves the quality of life for a child in need. … She embodies the heart and soul of what it means to serve on a board of education.”

OSBA leads the way to educational excellence by serving Ohio’s public school board members and the diverse districts they represent through superior service and creative solutions.